In the 1960s and 1970s the so-called "Green Revolution" encouraged less industrially developed countries like India to adopt Western intensive farming techniques: hi-tech machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, high-yielding varieties replacing traditional crops, etc. For 10-20 years it worked for India (though often at high individual human cost) and the large grain reserve it has built up will get it through this year's serious drought. This could, however, be the last time. The country's food basket, the states of Punjab and Haryana, are exhausted in farming terms.

The introduction of rice, made possible in these states thanks to irrigation, 'sucked' all the water out of the land. Excessive pumping led to a drop in the water table of half a meter a year. In some areas now, levels have fallen below the reach of farmers' deep wells or the water has become saline (salty). Crop yields are decreasing at an alarming rate. Many areas are becoming barren. Farmers are no longer able to keep up with the payments on the machinery they bought, nor can they afford the increasing amounts of fertilisers needed as the land is stripped of its nutrients by the intensive farming.

The nutritional value of the crops is falling in consequence.